en y sobre!!

Question

What is correct: 1. La lámpara está en la mesa. 2. La lámpara está sobre la mesa.

Lady in my lesson says: La lámpara está en la mesa. And I know on the other site for learning Spanish was: La lámpara está sobre la mesa.

Nice! Thanks for the edits! - Stobber, OCT 16, 2009

Answer 1

In fact, either is correct. Have a look at this link to our dictionary:

English word "On"

The 1st entry pretty much confirms that you have either choice.

Answer 2

Which do you think is correct? What do each of those words translate to?

Why can we just help them??? At least they put what they thought were possible answers. If they asked "how do you say this..." and didn't give their own answer... then your answer would be appropiate... but not in this case... - NikkiLR, OCT 16, 2009

nina_san edited her question post after i gave my reply, adding lots of good context and information. you're reading my reply out of chronological context. click the "history" link in her post to see what it looked liike when i posted this reply. - Stobber, OCT 16, 2009

I didn´t know that... disregard my comment. - NikkiLR, OCT 16, 2009

Answer 3

"sobre" o "encima de"

Answer 4

As Ken says "en" can mean in or on.

El libro está en la mesa, la mesa está en el salón.

Answer 5

En = on or in as in en la mesa = on the table and en Barcelona = in Barcelona. Sobre means over or on top of in the sense of on the table so en la mesa is the better way of saying on the table. another meaning of sobre is about as in quedamos sobre las siete = we will meet about seven oclock. Un sobre as a noun means an envelope.